Pig-casting machine.



PATENTED MAR. 3, 1903.

- J. S. PIELDING.

PIG CASTING MACHINE.

' APPLICATION FILED DEC. 19, 1901.

no MODEL.

3 SHEETS-SHBET 1 Wrz'essew. Inventor:

/ gi A ma Nawms PETERS o0, PNDTO-LITNLL, AsmNBTu DV (1 UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE.

JOHN SAMUEL FIELDING, OF SYDNEY, CANADA.

PIG-CASTING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 721 ,878, dated March3, 1903.

Application filed December 19,1901. Serial No. 86,610. (No model.)

To all whmn it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN'SAMUEL FIELD- ING, a subject of the King ofGreat Britain, residing at Sydney, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, Canada,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pig-CastingMachines, of which the following is a specification, reference beinghadtherein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to pig-casting ma chines; and it consists,primarily, of an endless carrier of improved construction having securedthereto'a series of revoluble moldsupports combined withcarrier-actuating means and mechanism for inverting the moldsupports todischarge the pigs. Improved mold-charging and mold-sanding apparatus isalso included in the invention.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is an end elevation of myimproved apparatus. Fig. 2 is a plan view. Fig. 3 is an elevation takenat the rear or discharging side of the apparatus. Figs. 4, 5, 6, and 7are detailed views. v

Referring to the drawings, the main shaft 2 of the carrier is journaledin bearing-frames 3, supported on foundation-walls 4. Carried by shaft 2are the separated wheels 5, and the inner periphery of the rim of one ofthese wheels carries the circular rack 5', and meshing therewith isspur-wheel 6 on shaft 7, the latter being actuated, through suitableinterposed gearing, by electric or other motor 8,

and by this means motion is imparted to the carrier either forward orbackward, as required.

9 represents box-girders supported between the rims of wheels 5 ontrunnions 10, and secured in any suitable manner to opposite sides ofthe girders are the short molds 11, arranged side by side and extendingfrom end to end thereof. Loosely suspended on trunnions 10 at one end ofthe machine are counterweights 12, and journaled transversely thereonare short shafts 13, provided at their opposite ends with spur-wheels 14and between their ends with worm-gears 15, the latter meshing with gears16, fixed on trunnions 10.

At the discharge side of the machine is frame 17, supporting tracks 18of carriage 19, the latter being moved toward and away from the machineby means of cylinder 20, secured to frame 17, and piston 21, workingtherein and secured to the carriage. .22 is an upright cylindersustained by said carriage, and supported by piston 23 thereof areparallel upright racks 24, the distance between the racks being the sameas the distance between spurwheels 14 on each of shafts 13. The moldsare charged in manner presently to be explained and carried upward bythe carrier and then lowered to the discharging position, all the moldson the upper sides of the girders between the charging and dischargingpoints being charged or filled, and the iron thus given time to chill.When each series of molds is in position for discharging, spur-wheels 14and racks 24 are in line, the latter being in lowered position. Carriage19 is then moved forward, placing the racks and spur-wheels inengagement. The racks are then moved upward by piston 24, therebyrotating shaft 13 and through the medium of worm 15 and gear 16inverting the girder 9, when the pigs drop from the molds into chute 25,supported on posts 25, and from which they discharge into railroad-car26 or other receptacle. Carriage 19 is retracted before the racks arelowered, thus leaving the emptied molds in inverted position and thepreviously inactive molds uppermost and ready for the next cast whenbrought to charging position. Proper position of the girders ismaintained by the counterweights, which are made rigid with thetrunnions by shafts 13 and gears 15 and 16.

The molds are charged from ladle 27,mounted on car 28, which runs ontrack 29, paralleling the machine. The ladle starts pouring into themolds at one end of the girder, with the latter at proper elevation. Theladle is advanced slowly as the molds are filled, and at the same timethe latter are given very gradual downward movement by reversing themovement of the carrier, so as not to interfere with the tilting of theladle, also to keep the molds centered beneath the spout. The ladle istilted as required by means of motor 30, suitably geared thereto andsupported on car 31, coupled to ladle-car 28. Thus the molds are chargeduniformly and without splashing. molds'is charged the carrier isadvanced to As each series of present a fresh series at thecharging-point, the charged molds moving upward and over step by step tothe discharging position.

Beneath the machine is the mold-sanding mechanism, consistingof box ortank 32, resting on pistons working in cylinders 33. As each series ofmolds takes position over the box or tank after discharging the latteris elevated by the lifts,thus immersing the moldsin asolution of lime orother suitable liquid contained in the tank and effectually sandingthem, and as the molds make more than a complete revolution with thecarrier after being sanded and before being again charged the sandingsolution becomes thoroughlysct.

The several cylinders are provided with suitable steam or hydraulicconnections. (Not shown.) Each of shafts 13 has a projection orextremity 13, adapted to receive a crank 34, whereby the box-girders 9may be inverted by hand whenever desired and at any point in theirrevolution with the carrier.

As each girder carries two series of molds, which are activealternately, the molds have ample time to cool between casts.

Casting apparatus constructed in accordance with myinvention economizesspace and has comparatively few wearing parts, which are convenientlyaccessible whenever repairs are required. If a mold breaks, a new onemay be quickly substituted.

1 do not restrictmy invention to the disclosed mechanism for invertingthe molds, nor to the sanding mechanism shown, nor to the means foractuating the carrier, and it will be understood that the apparatus maybe modified in other particulars without departing from the spirit ofthe invention.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

1. An improved pig-casting machine comprising two uprightrigidly-connected wheels adapted to rotate on a horizontal axis,counterbalanced mold-supports between and pivotally secured to thewheels parallel with the axis thereof, pig-molds on the supports, andmold charging and discharging means.

2. An improved pig-casting machine comprising two uprightrigidly-connected wheels adapted to rotate on a horizontal axis,moldsupports between and pivotally secured at their ends to the wheelsparallel with the axis thereof,counterweights movable with the supportsand to which the latter are adjustably connected, pig-molds on differentfaces of the supports, and mold charging and discharging means.

3. An improved pig-casting machine comprising a carrier, mold supportsmounted therein on horizontal pivots, counterweights movable with thesupports and to which the latterare adjustablyconnected,and pig-molds ondifferent faces of the supports.

4. An improved pig-casting machine comprising an upright endless carrieradapted to rotate on a horizontal axis, a circular series of horizontalmold-supports pivotally secured to the carrier, pig-molds arranged sideby side on each of said supports, a track adjacent the carrier andparalleling the axis thereof, and alaterally-tipping ladle movable onthe track, whereby the carrier may be moved to bring the mold series,successively, to position for filling, and whereby as the ladle is movedalong the track and tipped for filling each series of molds the lattermay be raised or lowered and thereby moved laterally toward or away fromthe ladle to eifecta proper pouring without regard to the inclination ofthe ladle.

5. An improved pig-casting machine comprising a carrier, mold-supportsrevoluble thereon, molds on the supports, counterweights loosely mountedon the axes of the supports, gear-wheels 16 secured to saidsupport-axes, worm-gears 15 mounted on the counterweights and meshingwith said gears, and means for rotating the worm-gears.

6. An improved pig-casting machine comprising a carrier, mold-supportsrevoluble thereon, molds on the supports, counterweights loosely mountedon the support-axes, gear-wheels 16 on said axes, worm-gears 15 mountedon the counterweights and meshing with said gears, andvertically-reciprocating mechanism movable laterally toward and awayfrom the worm-gears and adapted to operatively engage the same forrotating them and turning the mold-supports.

7. An improved pig-casting machine comprising an upright endless carrieradapted to rotate on a horizontal axis, a circular series ofindividually-revoluble mold-supports in the carrier, molds on thesupports, moldcharging means, a carriage movable toward and away fromone end of the carrier, vertically-reciprocating mechanism on thecarriage, andgearing for each revoluble moldcarrier adapted to beoperatively engaged by the said reciprocating mechanism when brought toposition adjacent the latter, whereby the mold-supports are inverted andthe pigs discharged from the molds.

8. An improved pig-casting machine comprising a carrier, horizontalmold-supports therein revoluble on horizontal axes, molds on diiferentfaces of the supports, a sandingliquid-containing tank over which themolds are adapted to move, and means for elevating the tank around theundermost molds on the supports and submerging the said molds in thesanding liquid.

9. Improved pig-casting apparatus comprising a ladle adapted to tiplaterally for pouring, pig-molds, and mold-carrying means movablevertically and laterally with relation to the ladle, whereby the moldsmay be maintained in position for charging without regard to the degreeof inclination of the ladle.

10. Improved pig-casting apparatus comprising a ladle adapted to tiplaterally for pouring, a mold-carrier movable vertically and laterallywith relation to the ladle, pigmolds mounted on the carrier onhorizontal pivots, and means for maintaining the pivoted molds inupright position on the carrier without regard to the movement of thelatter.

11. Improved pig-casting apparatus comprising a vertically and laterallymovable mold-carrier, series of molds mounted thereon in horizontalplanes, a track at one side of the carrier and paralleling the moldseries, a car movable on the track, and a laterallytipping ladle mountedon the car. 7

12. Improved pig-casting apparatus com prising pig-molds, vertically andlaterally movable mold-carrying means, and a ladle adapted to tiplaterally for pouring and movable bodily in a plane at right angles tothe direction of movement of the molds, whereby the molds may bemaintained in position for charging without regard to the degree ofinclination of the ladle.

13. An improved pig-casting machine comprising a carrier, revolublemold-supports on the carrier, molds on the supports, reciprocatingmechanism, and gearing for each moldcarrier adapted to be operativelyengaged by the reciprocating mechanism, whereby the mold-supports areinverted and the pigs discharged from the molds.

14:. An improved pig-casting machine comprising a carrier, revolublemold-supports on the carrier, molds on the supports, and support-rotating mechanism movable toward and away from the mold-supports and adaptedto operatively engage and invert the same for

